No, tell us how you really feel…

â€œI never enjoy playing in Toronto really. Why? I donâ€™t enjoy hockey-obsessed Canadians. The exchange rate is not very good right now. And itâ€™s going to cost me a lot of money for tickets for people I donâ€™t even like. Howâ€™s that for a list?â€

Looking forward to the game tomorrow night. I’m actually trying to talk my fiance OUT of going to a bar tomorrow night so I can watch and hear better. I tell ya, the Rangers are the only thing that can keep me from wanting to go to a bar…that’s not called the Blarney Rock.

I find it amusing the way people are ready to be sellers at the deadline at this point. Truth is, the team has played 2 stretches of miserable hockey to open the year and over the last 3 weeks, and is still in what, 5th or 6th place, and within striking distance – small striking distance – of everyone but Ottawa. Imagine where the Rangers will be once the players they have start really playing the way they can – and you know it’s only a matter of time.

I like the positive perspective PETER. As much as I know this team can surely still win the division(which I think they will). We still have to hope that we don’t lose anyone to injury before the deadline. I also think we’re missing that one piece. Having said that, we wouldn’t be missing anything if everyone was playing to their potential. IMO…prucha, hossa, dubinsky, callahan have not provided what they were believed to be capable of. IF, they were producing even 1/2 as much as everyone expected, I think we’d be right up there with OTT. An extra goal from one of those guys in the early stretch when we were losing those close games could have been the difference. Instead, those 4 combined don’t even break double digits in goals.

I’m with beer on this one (those that know me, know I’m always with beer so no surprise there lol). I’ll go one better though…

I’d rather not have to “imagine” what this team would be like if their players played to their potential. Especially Jagr. One 2-goal game does not absolve him of his duties on this squad.

The Rangers have been a classic underachiever in this league for too many stretches in this league’s history. I for one am sick of it. The last two seasons they were the hardest working team in the league… where did that mentality go?

Once Sather made a couple of big moves on the free agent market this team felt it bought a spot in the league’s elite.

Ranger fans know that you can’t buy that status… it’s EARNED. No matter what names are on the backs of the sweaters read.

Riche’ – GREAT point about(not)being the hard working team we were. My idea of where it went, in addition to bringing in 2 guys with no size or strength advantage, is that the players think they ‘have there spot’ on the team. The recent moves may help, with guys coming back from injury. The competition for the roster spots has to stay high for that drive to be there.

Avery is the quintessential New York sports personality. He’s the Joe Willie/Clyde Frazier/Ron Duguay of the new millenium. He’s in the clubs, dating the starlets, talking trash and being larger then life. And yet, a few words from his Mom like “Sean, you played like s.. crap” brings him right back down to earth again.

Here is a little snippet from the Hockey Rodent I thought were quite interesting (if this is true, which I am willing to say yes I think the rodent is trustworthy):

“Well, now we know the truth behind Petr Prucha’s absence from the lineup Sunday night. When head coach Tom Renney implored his troops to be more visceral on the ice, the young lad (just 2Â¼ years immersed in English) asked countryman Jaromir Jagr what this word meant. Tom took the whispering as a sign of disrespect and benched Kid Kourageous before warmups.

That stuff about Antropov’s slash and the wrist-taping display by the dasher was all for public consumption. C’mon. You could lop off Peter Puck’s arm at the shoulder and he’d still be game to play.”